Solaris has won the largest European H2 bus tender for TPER

Solaris has successfully secured a contract to supply TPER, the municipal public transport operator in Bologna, with a fleet of 130 hydrogen-powered Urbino 12 buses. This significant agreement stands as one of the largest orders for fuel cell buses in Europe and perfectly aligns with Bologna's ambitious objective of achieving a completely emissions-free urban public transportation system by the year 2030.

The tender for this project was officially released in March 2023, following the announcement of plans in December 2022. In light of the forthcoming deployment of hydrogen-powered vehicles, TPER has chosen the German conglomerate Wolftank as its operational and industrial partner for TPH2. This dynamic consortium will be responsible for establishing a comprehensive hydrogen fueling infrastructure tailored to the needs of these buses.

The delivery schedule for the first batch of 37 hydrogen buses is slated for 2024, with the remaining units expected to arrive in 2025 and 2026. Remarkably, the agreement with Solaris not only encompasses the initial order of 130 buses but also includes an option for an additional 140 vehicles to further enhance the green public transportation network in Bologna.

Funding for the procurement of these buses primarily stems from resources allocated under the Next Generation EU initiative, with a foundational cost of €76.2 million allocated for the initial 127 buses. TPER has also indicated the potential use of supplementary funding sources, including the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Mobility, to finance the optional vehicles in this transformative endeavor.